Firefighters crawl to rescue deer stuck on frozen lake

A stag in Minnesota was stranded on thin ice until a rescue team stepped in - on all fours.

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BJP, Congress Brush Off Exit Poll Results, Forward 'Winning' Arguments

Exit polls that predicted a primacy of Congress in Chhattisgarh and Telangana and that of the BJP in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, have been hotly contested by both camps in states they were predicted to lose. While exit polls are known to get it wrong many a time, their predictions proved a touchy topic in this round of elections, seen as the semi-finals before next year's Lok Sabha polls.

While the BJP doubled down on claims that they will win Madhya Pradesh, where many exit polls predicted a close fight, the Congress scoffed at the suggestion that they might not have a re-run of the 2018 victory. The party's government had collapsed two years later as its senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia crossed over to the BJP with 20-plus MLAs.

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is helming the state Congress in Madhya Pradesh, declared that the country is run by "vision, not television".

"Exit poll results are very diverse. We cannot say anything about it. I can assure you that the Congress will get more than 130 seats in Madhya Pradesh," said his party colleague Digvijaya Singh. "People want transformation. People are fed up with CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan," he added.

NDTV poll of Polls, an aggregate of nine exit polls, indicates that the BJP may wind up with 124 of the state's 230 seats, where the majority mark is 116. The Congress may get 102 seats.

A similar script played out in neighbouring Chhattisgarh – only in the BJP camp -- after almost all exit polls gave the Congress government led by Bhupesh Baghel an edge. NDTV Poll of Polls – an aggregate of nine exit polls -- indicated that 49 of the state's 90 seats can go to the Congress and 38 to the BJP.

"Exit polls have a limited size. The sample size of the BJP is huge," state BJP chief Arun Sao was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"I have been roaming in Chhattisgarh for the past 1.5 years. I have gone to each Vidhan Sabha constituency and had conversations with people. On that basis, I can say that on December 3, the BJP will come to power with a clear majority," he added.

"Everyone can have their way with exit polls. The BJP will form the government. The reason for this is that people want change," said the BJP's Prem Prakash Pandey.

The claims and counterclaims were also strong in Rajasthan, where exit polls predicted the state will remain faithful to its revolving-door tradition and vote out the ruling Congress.

"Exit polls indicate that 'raaj nahi rivaz' (trend, not rule) is set to change in Rajasthan as the Congress is going to win a majority," said Gourav Vallabh, spokesperson of the Congress which is hoping to buck the trend.

Banking on a marginally higher polling figure, the BJP, meanwhile, insisted that the people of Rajasthan want to end the Congress rule.

"The people of Rajasthan want freedom from the Congress, given their record of corruption. The BJP is going to form the government with a majority in Rajasthan as well as Madhya Pradesh," said BJP MP Baba Balaknath, who is the party candidate from the Tijara assembly constituency.

NDTV Poll of Polls indicated that the BJP can get 104 of the state's 200 seats, the Congress 85.

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Swedish murder: Five teenagers found guilty over taxi driver's killing

The victim was lured to a nature reserve after one of the teenagers reported him for rape.

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Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May film final Grand Tour

The trio launched The Grand Tour on Amazon in 2016 after their departure from the BBC's Top Gear.

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India Must Take "Canada's Allegations Seriously": Trudeau After US Case

U.S. allegations that an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Khalistani terrorist on U.S. soil underscores the need for India to take similar allegations by Canada seriously, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Justice Department said earlier on Wednesday that a 52-year-old man worked with an Indian government employee, whose responsibilities included security and intelligence, on the plot to assassinate a New York City resident who advocated for a Sikh sovereign state in northern India.

"The news coming out of the United States further underscores what we've been talking about from the very beginning, which is that India needs to take this seriously," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.

The U.S. charges come about two months after Canada said there were "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the murder of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb, in June. India has rejected that allegation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Germany teens held for alleged Christmas market attack plot

Police are said to have intervened to be on the safe side, after a specific target was identified.

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Origins Of Life On Earth: 4.5 Billion-Year-Old Asteroid Holds Clues

A sample of asteroid dust, dating back to the formation of the solar system, has arrived at the Natural History Museum in London. The dust was collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, which touched down on asteroid Bennu in 2020. Scientists hope to study the dust to learn more about the early history of our solar system.

According to The Guardian, the sample is just 100 milligrams, but it is incredibly valuable because it is untouched material from the asteroid. This means that it has not been contaminated by Earth's atmosphere or by human hands.

Scientists will use a variety of techniques to study the dust, including electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. They hope to find clues about the asteroid's composition, formation, and history.

According to the UK's Natural History Museum, orbiting the Sun roughly 120,000,000 kilometres away, this near-Earth asteroid is of intense interest to scientists for a number of reasons. For a start, it is thought to be an untouched time capsule from the beginning of the solar system, providing clues as to the origin of Earth and the life it supports. But it also has the potential to harm Earth, as it is considered to be the 'most dangerous' asteroid in the solar system.

Now an incredibly special sample of Bennu has made its way to the Natural History Museum.

A team of researchers will start studying the black, rocky powder in extraordinary detail. They will be exposing the extraterrestrial grains to a whole host of experiments and tests to vastly expand our knowledge of how asteroids like Bennu formed, what material they might contain, and fundamentally, whether they played any role in bringing the building blocks of life to Earth itself.

'We're really lucky,' says Dr Ashley King, a meteorite researcher at the Natural History Museum, who will be part of the team studying the pieces of Bennu. 'We're one of the first people to get our hands on the Bennu samples.'

'And here at the museum, we have a team of researchers that are going to start studying these samples to understand their mineralogy and chemical composition.'

This research promises to be thrilling as asteroid Bennu is believed to have originated from material that emerged during the solar system's inception approximately 4.56 billion years ago.

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Dutch version of Scobie royal book withdrawn over 'translation error'

A translation error has meant the Dutch edition of Endgame has been suspended.

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Ninety-eight Christmas trees and a gingerbread White House

Jill Biden unveils this year's White House holiday decorations, designed to evoke wonder and joy.

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Sunak welcomes foreign firms' £29.5bn 'vote of confidence'

The prime minister says foreign investors' plans to invest £29.5bn is a "huge vote of confidence".

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Elon Musk's AI Chatbot Calls Him "Overrated", Billionaire Says "Accurate"

Elon Musk recently unveiled his own artificial intelligence chatbot called Grok. It is the first product of Mr Musk's xAI company and it is trained using real-time data from the X platform. Recently, a user asked the chatbot to roast the billionaire with one word. To their amusement, the AI bot described Mr Musk as "overrated". This caught the attention of the Tesla Chief and he responded to the post saying that Grok is "accurate".

Tesla Owners Silicon Valley took to X, formerly Twitter, and shared a screenshot of their chat with the bot. "Grok roasts Elon Musk in one word : Overrated," reads the caption of the post. The account also added a laughing emoji with it. 

Accurate

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 26, 2023

Since being shared, the post has amassed 80,000 views and 943 likes.

"Love Elon's humor," said a user.

"Grok is good," added a person.

A third person remarked, "Grok can be cruel sometimes."

"Interesting perspective! It's always fascinating to see different opinions on someone as prominent as Elon Musk," added a user.

Another added, "And this was the last thing Grok said, before being formatted."

A few days ago, a post by an X user about using the AI chatbot to understand a tweet shared by Elon Musk also caught the attention of the billionaire. In the post, the user, Kris Kashtanova, explained about using Grok to decode a tweet that Mr Musk posted a few days ago. 

"Thanks to Grok we'll understand Elon Musk's post better," Kashtanova wrote while sharing a screenshot of the interaction between her and Grok. The X user used a tweet by Mr Musk about corporate culture as a prompt for the AI chatbot. In response, Grok then came up with a detailed explanation of what the tweet meant. Mr Musk reshared the entire post along with a bullseye emoji. 

Meanwhile, Grok is currently available for a limited audience. Earlier this month, Mr Musk, the tycoon behind SpaceX, revealed details about the AI tool. He said the link-up with X is "a massive advantage over other models" of generative AI. Grok "loves sarcasm. I have no idea who could have guided it this way," the billionaire quipped, adding a laughing emoji to his post.

"Grok" comes from "Stranger in a Strange Land," a 1961 science fiction novel by Robert Heinlein, and means to understand something thoroughly and intuitively.

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The last of their kind: The unique life of Pakistan's Wakhi shepherdesses

The Wakhi shepherdesses share life in Pakistan's mountains and how they have changed things for a new generation.

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The Papers: Dettori's '£100m insurance' and 'Harry's a fool'

A broad range of stories in Sunday's papers including the latest on the situation in the Middle East.

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Aircraft pulled through streets of Southampton

The Solent Sky Museum saved part of the BAC 1-11 from the scrapheap.

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Hemsby road partially collapses on erosion-hit coastline

A combination of high tide and strong winds contribute to the partial collapse of a Norfolk road.

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France warns people off Black Friday clothes deals

The French government has launched a campaign encouraging people not to buy new clothes during festive sales.

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Animal Promotions: Ranbir Kapoor And Bobby Deol's Bromance Stole The Show

Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol's off-screen bromance is making all the right noises. The two actors will share screen for the first time in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal. Ranbir and Bobby attended the music launch event of Animal in Mumbai today and their camaraderie stole the limelight. Several videos from the event went viral in which Ranbir Kapoor can be seen dancing to the hit numbers from Bobby Deol's films. Ranbir Kapoor was asked at the event which song Bobby Deol dances to in the shower. Ranbir can be heard saying in the video, "I don't know about him. But I definitely do..." Ranbir Kapoor then performs the hook steps of Love Tujhe Love Main Karta Hoon. The song is from Bobby Deol's debut film Barsaat. Ranbir Kapoor also shows the hook steps of Becheniya Betabiyan from Bobby Deol's Gupt. Bobby Deol can be seen smiling at Ranbir's performance. Take a look at the video:

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Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol also burnt the dance floor with their killer moves to the song Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela. This song is from Bobby Deol's film Gupt starring Kajol and Manisha Koirala. Take a look at the viral video here:

Lord Bobby and #RanbirKapoor dancing at Spotify event #AnimalTheFilm pic.twitter.com/plf0Npk27o

— Lakeer Ka Fakeer (@arthwrites) November 24, 2023

Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol also danced to Ranbir's hit song Badtameez Dil from the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol gave the shutterbugs a picture-perfect moment to capture when Ranbir Kapoor sat on the lap of Bobby Deol. The two actors looked dashing at the event. While Ranbir Kapoor rocked an all-black look, Bobby Deol wore a denim jacket at the event. They won the hearts of fans present at the event. Take a look at the pictures from the event:

ICYMI, this is the trailer of Animal. The trailer shows Ranbir Kapoor's complicated relationship with his father Anil Kapoor which drives him to seek revenge when the latter is shot. The root of Ranbir's obsession with father lies in his childhood days only. His troubled relationship with his father affects his love relationship with Rashmika Mandanna as well. "You are fighting a ghost in your head," Rashmika tells Ranbir at one point and he replies, " I don't fight with a ghost. I just eat it up." Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol can be seen fighting fiercely in the trailer. Take a look:

About their connection, Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol spoke at the trailer launch event. Bobby Deol said about Ranbir Kapoor, "I am a huge fan of this man out here. I have worked with many people, stars, superstars, but haven't seen such a humble and down-to-earth person. I would get lost in his eyes while working with him. He is so mesmerising as an actor. There was a lot of hard work involved as I had to go bare with my body." Praising Bobby Deol, Ranbir Kapoor said, "We both are Punjabis, so there was an instant connection. We were shooting shirtless in London in minus 4 degree temperature but there was so much warmth between us... This is a bond that we will cherish for the rest of our lives."

Directed by Arjun Reddy director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. The teaser gave us a glimpse of an abusive father-son relationship (played by Anil Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor respectively) that only became darker and murkier in the course of the film. The film will release in theatres on December 1.

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"A Landmark Moment": Gauri Khan's Best Wish Message For Ananya's New Home

Hours after Ananya Panday shared her thank you note for Gauri Khan, who designed her "first home, dream home", Gauri Khan also shared a post for Ananya. Gauri shared a picture with Ananya Panday and her mother Bhavana Pandey. In the picture, they can be seen posing for the camera. While Ananya can be seen seated at a chair, the BFFs Gauri and Bhavana can be seen standing at the balcony of Ananya's new home. They can be seen dressed in their casual best. Gauri Khan wrote in the caption, "Celebrating this special home... a landmark moment. Congratulations @ananyapanday, you've put your heart and soul into achieving this. So proud of you, lots of love and best wishes. Many more to come....." Ananya Panday replied to the post and wrote, "Love you GK" and dropped a few heart emojis. Bhavana Pandey wrote, "Love you Gauri." Take a look at the post here:

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Ananya Panday bought a new apartment on the occasion of Dhanteras this year in Mumbai. She shared a couple of pictures of herself with Gauri Khan. In the opening frame, Gauri Khan and Ananya can be seen posing in the living room. The next slide shows the two sitting on a couch. With a melange-hued couch, grey carpet, white coffee table and lamps, Ananya's living room exudes minimalist vibes. In her note, Ananya thanked Gauri Khan for understanding her preferences exactly and designing her first home accordingly. Sharing the pictures, the  actress wrote, "My first home... my dream home...thank you Gauri Khan no one could have understood exactly what I wanted better than you and made it so special for me... you're the best, love you!!!" Take a look at the post here:

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A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday)

Earlier this month, Ananya Panday announced on Instagram that she had bought a house in Mumbai. The first image in Ananya's post is from the housewarming ceremony. The actress can be seen sitting on the floor next to the puja set-up. In the next slide, Ananya is breaking a coconut at the entrance of her new house. Along with the post, Ananya wrote, "My own home!! Need all your love and good vibes!!! To new beginnings... Happy Dhanteras." Take a look:

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A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday)

Gauri Khan has also designed homes for other celebrities including Manish Malhotra, Ranbir Kapoor, and Karan Johar among others. Back in April, she shared a glimpse of the newly designed home of Manish Malhotra. Sharing a sneak peek of the palatial home, Gauri Khan wrote in the caption, "When is the party, Manish Malhotra?" Take a look:

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A post shared by Gauri Khan (@gaurikhan)

Gauri Khan and Shah Rukh Khan recently hosted David Beckham at their house Mannat. The former star footballer came to India as the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Ananya Panday was last seen in Dream Girl 2. She will next be seen in Vikramaditya Motwane's cyber-crime thriller.

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"Hamas Took My Daughter": Father Pleads For Return Of Kidnapped Daughter

A father is pleading for the return of his 9-year-old daughter. Emily Hand was kidnapped by Hamas in its attack on Israel on October 7. She is believed to be one of over 240 hostages currently held by Hamas. The father, Thomas Hand is pleading for Emily's return after Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for a four-day truce. The deal calls for 50 civilian hostages held by Hamas to be released and for Palestinians in Israeli prisons to be released. 

"That'd be very great for everyone concerned on both sides," Thomas Hand, 63 told The Guardian. "It gives me hope, but until I see her, until I'm holding her I won't believe anything. Until I see it, I won't believe it."

Mr Hand during a press conference in London described his life as a nightmare. "I know the Israeli government and the army will do everything in their capabilities to get them back." 

Emily was initially believed to be among the 1,200 Israelis killed during the surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Now, she is counted among the 240 hostages in Gaza.

"My sole purpose in life now is to do everything I can to get my little daughter Emily back," said Hand, who after living in Be'eri kibbutz for 20 years working in a printing house, now lives in a hotel near the Dead Sea. "Nothing else concerns me."

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also shared a video on its Facebook page and wrote, "This beautiful 8-year-old girl Emily Hand was believed to have been murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. We now know she is being held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Please share this and help us bring Emily home."

Under the Israel-Hamas deal, the two sides agreed to a four-day truce so that 50 women and children under the age of 19 taken hostage could be freed in return for 150 Palestinian women and teenagers in Israeli detention, Reuters reported. 

The four-day truce will start at 7 am local time (05:00 GMT) on Friday and the first 13 civilian captives will be released at about 4 pm (14:00 GMT), the Qatari foreign ministry says.

The 50 hostages, among about 240 taken by Hamas in their Oct. 7 raid on Israel, are expected to be released in batches, probably about a dozen a day, during the four-day ceasefire.

Those involved in the deal have described the break in hostilities as "a humanitarian pause". The pause will be extended by a day for each additional batch of 10 hostages released, Israel said in a statement.

The hostages are expected to be transported through Egypt, the only country apart from Israel to share a border with Gaza.

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Macy's Thanksgiving Parade: Annual event stars SpongeBob and minor protest

This year's Macy's event in Manhattan was briefly disrupted by a small pro-Palestinian demonstration.

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Bristol Airport responds after backlash to multi-faith area

Bristol Airport has defended the facility after online criticism over its location and appearance.

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Davis Cup Finals 2023: Great Britain trail Serbia after Jack Draper loses to Miomir Kecmanovic

Cameron Norrie needs a shock win over Novak Djokovic to keep alive Great Britain's hopes of beating Serbia and reaching the Davis Cup semi-finals.

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Boy's asthma death was 'consequence of healthcare failures'

A coroner says 10-year-old William Gray's death was a consequence of failures.

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King Charles speaks Korean at state banquet to honour president

His speech at Buckingham Palace opened with words of welcome to the South Korean president and his wife.

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At Bengal Summit, Mukesh Ambani Promises Big Investment In State

Reliance has invested close to Rs 45,000 crore in Bengal, industrialist Mukesh Ambani said today at the seventh Bengal Global Business Summit. "We plan to invest an additional Rs 20,000 crore in the next three years," he said, underscoring the state's upbeat economy.

The rate of growth of Bengal's GDP is 11.5 per cent, much higher than the national average, he said. As India races to become a $10 trillion economy by 2030, "Bengal alone has the potential to become a $1 trillion economy in the near future," he said.

"Countries like Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are regarded Asian tigers for their growth economies. But Bengal is now becoming so agile and ambitious that the fearless Royal Bengal Tiger will someday overtake all the Asian tigers," Mukesh Ambani added.

He attributed the change to the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying, "As the late Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee described you, you are truly Agni Kanya".

Reliance Foundation, he added, would be looking after the restoration and repair of the revered Maa Kali Temple at Kalighat in Kolkata, a project which he said was very close to his and Nita Ambani's heart.

Besides Mr Ambani, the RIL Chairman & Managing Director, Sanjiv Puri of ITC, Rishad Premji of WIPRO, Sanjiv Goenka of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, R Dinesh from TVS, Harshvardhan Neotia, Dr Devi Shetty and other top business leaders attended the meet.
 
Several other business leaders also promised new projects and fresh investment in West Bengal. Former India Captain Sourav Ganguly was also present at the event as an investor. Mr Ganguly was appointed the Brand Ambassador for the state of Bengal by Mamata Banerjee at the event.
 
Unveiling new policies designed to attract more investment, the Chief Minister assured potential investors of a business-friendly atmosphere in the state. "Bengal has a stable government. Some people keep on saying Bengal is violent. That's only a narrative of some political parties," she added.
 
The Chief Minister also introduced West Bengal Logistics Policy, West Bengal Internet Cable Landing Station Policy, West Bengal Export Promotion Policy, West Bengal Green Hydrogen Policy, West Bengal New and Renewable Energy Manufacturing Promotion Policy committing to the rapid growth & development of the state.
 
The BJP has targeted the Chief Minister over the expenditure incurred and the results achieved from the business summit.

"BGBS is not Bengal Global Business Summit… BGBS is all about signing fake MOUs, showing vague Expression of Interests & issuing Letters of Intent that end up in the dustbin," said Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

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Opinion: The INDIA Bloc Split - Rahul Gandhi Vs Akhilesh Yadav

Beyond the euphoria of having launched a rainbow INDIA bloc to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, things don't look very different on the ground for opposition parties. The incongruities that existed among the parties that have come together for the INDIA acronym will not go away. If that requires evidence, we have it in Uttar Pradesh, the electorally most important state for any party or grouping that aspires to rule from Delhi. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's recent jab at Rahul Gandhi on his comments on a caste census in all Congress-ruled states betrays the rift.

Akhilesh Yadav accused the Congress of not conducting a caste census when it was in power for decades and endorsing one now to entice voters from lower and backward castes. Ahead of the 2024 general election, the Samajwadi chief has been banking on reviving his 'PDA' - Pichhda (backward castes), Dalits and Alpasankhyaks (minorities) - politics with a bang.

The Congress was always wary of the SP, which ate into its traditional vote bank of Muslim-Dalit-backward castes and later, turned towards Jats and extremely backward classes as part of its social engineering strategy to corner maximum votes. Back in 2012, Rahul Gandhi had called the Samajwadi Party a party of 'goondas' (gangsters) and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) the party of 'chors' (thieves).

Sanjay Pandey, a political analyst based in Lucknow, feels the real reason for the open friction between the Congress and Samajwadi Party in UP is that the latter fears the Congress will gain votes and make a dent into its Muslim vote bank in next year's Lok Sabha polls. "Muslims are deciding factors in around two dozen seats, especially in the western and central regions of the state, and a shift will certainly hit the SP's prospects. Moreover, Congress's attempts to poach SP leaders have not gone down well with Akhilesh," says Mr Pandey. The Congress has managed to rope in senior SP leader Ravi Prakash Verma, a three-time MP and an influential OBC leader.

After the INDIA bloc was formed, the SP had anticipated seat-sharing adjustments with the Congress in the Madhya Pradesh election in order to put up a strong challenge for the ruling BJP. However, the Congress cold-shouldered Akhilesh Yadav and fielded 229 candidates in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath's 'Akhilesh Vakhilesh' remark, dismissive of the Samajwadi chief, aggravated the situation. Akhilesh retaliated with a pun on Kamal Nath's name, equating it with the Lotus symbol of the BJP. The SP had asked for six seats in the election, especially in the districts bordering Uttar Pradesh.

For the INDIA bloc to succeed in Uttar Pradesh, the anti-Modi grouping needs a potent, locally popular and acceptable face. Akhilesh Yadav, with a full term as Chief Minister behind him, can be that credible face of the INDIA bloc. Akhilesh thinks he deserves the respect and place that anybody controlling 80 Lok Sabha seats deserves. The Congress doesn't accept Akhilesh's party has any influence outside UP, so was willing to risk his anger.

The SP had won a few seats on its own in MP assembly polls in the past. Akhilesh believed that since anti-Modi parties in the INDIA bloc had declared their commitment to a common national cause and objective, there would be a spirit of accommodation among constituent parties. When the Congress did not accommodate the Samajwadi in Madhya Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav retaliated by suggesting he may be less accommodative of the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In the saga of potshots between the two parties, Akhilesh Yadav was also criticised by UP Congress president Ajay Rai. Mr Rai accused the SP chief of duplicity after the Congress decided to contest the Bageshwar assembly seat in Uttarakhand in a by-poll a few months back.

After his disastrous alliance with the Congress for the 2017 UP election - its highlight was the 'UP ke Ladke' campaign with photos of Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi - Akhilesh doesn't really believe the Congress has much to offer in any poll tie-up in the state. Which is why in 2019, he preferred to revive his party's collaboration with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party than go with the Congress. The SP-BSP alliance chose to ignore the Congress. So, Akhilesh made it clear that in UP, the Congress will be at the mercy of his party. So he is unlikely to show mercy to the Congress after the Madhya Pradesh snub.

"The bone of contention is distribution of seats among the INDIA partners in UP. Congress wants around 20 seats while Akhilesh is not ready to give it more than 6-7 seats. Congress leadership feels that their bargaining power may increase if more SP leaders join them," adds Mr Pandey.

Leaders in any alliance know that an error in judgment may set them back by five years, which is long enough to push them into a phase of irrelevance, if not oblivion. They realise the importance of polarisation to win votes in UP. In the past too, a split in the Muslim votes have impacted the Samajwadi's chances.

Mr Pandey sums up: "There can still be an understanding between SP and Congress in the next LS polls as both of them know that there will be a division in the Muslim votes if they contest separately."

The continuing schism in Congress and the Samajwadi Party is music to the ears of the BJP-led NDA, but there certainly is an unease in INDIA bloc partners, who are not ready to give way in their own turf. With the Lok Sabha elections just months away, a seat adjustment exercise between parties nationwide seems to be a Sisyphean task.

(Bharti Mishra Nath is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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North Macedonia 1-1 England: Three Lions secure top seeding at Euro 2024

Group C winners England get the point they needed to secure a top seeding at Euro 2024 with an unconvincing draw away to North Macedonia.

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Abu Dhabi-backed fund poised to take over Telegraph

The fund, run by former CNN boss Jeff Zucker, says it has the money it needs to rescue the newspaper.

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Right-winger Milei wins Argentina presidential poll

Javier Milei, who pledged to "blow up" the central bank, beat economy minister Sergio Massa in the vote.

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British actor and White Mischief star Joss Ackland dies aged 95

The stage and screen actor appeared in films including White Mischief and 1989's Lethal Weapon 2.

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US ex-President Jimmy Carter's wife Rosalynn dies aged 96

The Carter Center confirms that Rosalynn Carter died peacefully with her family by her side.

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France 14-0 Gibraltar: Kylian Mbappe scores hat-trick in record win

France score seven goals in each half as they record their biggest ever win by thrashing 10-man Gibraltar 14-0 in Euro 2024 qualifying.

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How Long Will Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere Sustain On Earth? Study Says...

Oxygen, the invisible elixir of life, is omnipresent on Earth, shaping the very essence of our existence. This life-sustaining gas, constituting about 21 per cent of the Earth's atmosphere, plays a pivotal role in the survival of countless species. But this was not always the case. When the planet was formed around 4.5 billion years ago, the conditions were vastly different. Carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour were dominant in Earth's atmosphere. And scientists have predicted that in future, Earth's atmosphere will revert to one that's low in oxygen.

A study, published in Nature in 2021, describes the scenario when it will happen. That time is still a billion years away, but when the change come, it is going to happen fairly rapidly.

The shift will take Earth back to something like the state it was in before what's known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) around 2.4 billion years ago, said the study.

The research is again in news as scientists are searching for habitable planets outside the Solar System. It say that atmospheric oxygen is unlikely to be a permanent feature of habitable worlds in general.

"The drop in oxygen is very, very extreme. We're talking around a million times less oxygen than there is today," Chris Reinhard, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, told New Scientist.

Scientists who predicted the doomsday scenario have said in the research, "The model projects that a deoxygenation of the atmosphere, with atmospheric O2 dropping sharply to levels reminiscent of the Archaean Earth, will most probably be triggered before the inception of moist greenhouse conditions in Earth's climate system and before the extensive loss of surface water from the atmosphere."

Researchers created detailed models of Earth's atmosphere, analysing changes in the brightness of the Sun and the corresponding drop in carbon dioxide levels. Less carbon dioxide means fewer photosynthesizing organisms such as plants, which would result in less oxygen.

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Mumbai And Delhi Police Engage In Fun Banter Over Shami's Performance

The Indian cricket team registered a 70-run victory over New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final. Virat Kohli's world record 50th ODI hundred and a scintillating century by Shreyas Iyer, followed by Mohammed Shami's demolition job in bowling on Wednesday, powered India into the World Cup final.

The entire nation is rejoicing in this victory, and the celebration extends to social media platforms as well, with people sharing messages, videos, and memes related to this momentous match.

The Mumbai and Delhi police social media handles have also joined in as they engaged in a fun banter on X.

The Delhi Police X account initiated the conversation by posting the first message, "@MumbaiPolice hope you do not book @MdShami11 for tonight's assault."

The Mumbai Police's X account was quick to reply. "You missed pressing charges of stealing innumerable hearts @DelhiPolice and listing a couple of co-accused too,".

You missed pressing charges of stealing innumerable hearts @DelhiPolice and listing a couple of co-accused too😂

P.S.: Dear citizens, both the departments know the IPC thoroughly and trust you for a great sense of humour 😊 https://t.co/TDnqHuvTZj

— मुंबई पोलीस - Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) November 15, 2023

Shortly after, Special Commissioner Mumbai, Deven Bharti, joined the conversation and responded, "Not at all @DelhiPolice. It qualifies for protection under "Right of Self-Defence."
 

Not at all @DelhiPolice. It qualifies for the protection under “Right of Self Defence”#India #IndianCricketTeam #IndiaVsNewZealand https://t.co/2EMKTKJQrB

— Deven Bharti 🇮🇳 (@DevenBhartiIPS) November 15, 2023

Mohammed Shami took seven wickets for 57 runs in the semi-final against New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 to help India win by 70 runs. Shami's 7/57 is the best bowling figure by any Indian bowler in an ODI match.

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Watch: Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty Celebrate Diwali At 10 Downing Street

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty joyously celebrated the festival of lights, Diwali with their family at 10 Downing Street in London. The heart of the celebration was the ceremonial lighting of the diya, a symbolic act that epitomizes the triumph of light over darkness. 

The UK Prime Minister also shared pictures and video of the Diwali celebration on his official handle on Instagram. Dressed in a blue saree, Mrs Murty was seen lighting diyas outside Downing Street. Mr Sunak's daughters Krishna and Anoushka also joined the celebrations. 

Mr Sunak captioned the post, "A special moment for me to be celebrating Diwali with my family on the steps of No.10. Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating here in the UK and around the world!"

See the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rishi Sunak (@rishisunakmp)

Mr Sunak's post soon went viral with an array of comments. Several people also took to the comments section to wish Mr Sunak a "Happy Diwali". 

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Mr Jaishankar gifted him a Lord Ganesha Statue and a cricket bat signed by Indian batting great Virat Kohli.

Taking to his official handle on X, EAM S Jaishankar shared details about his meeting with the UK PM, posting, "Delighted to call on Prime Minister @RishiSunak on #Diwali Day. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. India and the UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for contemporary times. Thank Mr and Mrs Sunak for their warm reception and gracious hospitality."

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S Jaishankar Meets Rishi Sunak, Gifts Bat Signed By Virat Kohli

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty at 10 Downing Street and conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Diwali on Sunday.

S Jaishankar along with his wife, Kyoko Jaishankar met with the UK PM and presented him a Lord Ganesha Statue and a cricket bat signed by Indian batting great Virat Kohli.

Taking to his official handle on X, EAM S Jaishankar shared details about his meeting with the UK PM, posting, "Delighted to call on Prime Minister @RishiSunak on #Diwali Day. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. India and UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for contemporary times. Thank Mr. and Mrs. Sunak for their warm reception and gracious hospitality."

The Prime Minister @RishiSunak welcomed @DrSJaishankar to Downing Street this evening.

Together they expressed their very best wishes as Indian communities around the world begin #Diwali celebrations.

🇬🇧🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/gjCxQ0vr8d

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) November 12, 2023

S Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, during which he is scheduled to hold a meeting with his UK counterpart James Cleverly. He arrived in Britain on Saturday and will conclude his visit on November 15.

He is also scheduled to meet several other dignitaries during his visit.

India and the UK have a "growing bilateral partnership", the MEA stated in a release earlier, noting that the two countries launched a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.

"India and the UK share a warm and thriving relationship. The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030," the MEA stated in its release.

"The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both the countries. EAM's visit will give a new impetus to the friendly ties between the two countries," it added.

Significantly, India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. Talks for FTA between India and the UK started in 2022 and the 12th round of negotiations took place from August 8-31 this year.

Earlier, on November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak discussed the progress on the Free Trade Agreement during a telephone conversation.

Rishi Sunak also congratulated PM Modi on Team India's dazzling performances in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

"Turning to the friendship between the UK and India, the leaders discussed recent progress on Free Trade Agreement negotiations. They agreed on the importance of securing an ambitious deal that benefitted both sides," the UK government stated in an official release.

"The leaders discussed the ongoing Cricket World Cup being held in India. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the strong performance of the India team and said he hoped England would have more luck during their test series in India in January," it added.

PM Modi and Rishi Sunak also discussed the conflict in West Asia, especially in the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The two leaders condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel and reiterated that the terror group "did not represent" the Palestinian people.

The two leaders also reflected on the need to de-escalate tensions in the wider region.

PM Rishi Sunak underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country, the statement added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Israel Offers Gaza Hospital Evacuation For Babies But Fighting Continues

Israel's army said it was ready to evacuate babies from Gaza's largest hospital on Sunday, but Palestinian officials said people inside were still trapped, with two newborns dead and dozens at risk from a power outage amid intense fighting nearby.

Al-Shifa and other hospitals in northern Gaza, the focus of Israel's month-old war to wipe out Hamas and free hostages held by the militants, were barely able to care for patients. More people are wounded daily by fierce Israeli bombardment.

Speaking from inside the biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra told Reuters Israeli fire had not hit it directly overnight but was "terrorising medical officials and civilians alike".

Israel's chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said on Saturday Israel's military would help evacuate babies from the hospital at the request of staff there. Al-Qidra had said there were 45 babies in total and two had already died.

Asked about the evacuations, Al-Qidra said: "We have not been informed about any mechanism to get the babies out to a safer hospital. So far we are praying for their safety and not to lose more of them."

In the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, Mosab Subeih, a baby boy, Mosab Subeih, had been rushed in from a house that was struck by an Israeli missile.

"He has a direct injury to the head and bleeding, and we have no surgeries," said one of the medics, who were treating him with a manual resuscitator as power had been cut.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said medical staff at another hospital in northern Gaza, Al-Quds, were struggling to care for those there with little medicine, food and water.

"Al Quds hospital has been cut off from the world in the last 6-7 days. No way in, no way out," Tommaso Della Longa, spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters.

Shifa was also out of reach for the newly wounded, said Mohammad Qandil, a doctor at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, who is in touch with colleagues there.

"Shifa hospital now isn't working, no one is allowed in, nobody is allowed out, and if you are wounded or injured around Gaza area you can't be evacuated by our ambulance to Shifa hospital, so Shifa hospital now is out of service," he told Reuters.

On Sunday, Israel said people could safely evacuate from three hospitals in northern Gaza, including Shifa via one of its exits. Hospital director Mohammad Abu Selmeyah told Al Arabiya television that there was no safe passage out.

Crossing to open

With the humanitarian situation across Gaza worsening, 80 foreigners and several injured Palestinians crossed into Egypt in the first evacuations since Friday, four Egyptian security sources said. Poland said 18 of them were Polish citizens.

Very little aid has entered Gaza since Israel declared war on Hamas more than a month ago after militants rampaged through southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Palestinian officials said on Friday that 11,078 Gaza residents had been killed in air and artillery strikes since then, around 40% of them children.

Disease is spreading amid evacuees packed into schools and other shelters and surviving on tiny amounts of food and water, international aid agencies say.

Some countries have taken to delivering aid by parachute; Jordan said it had air-dropped a second batch into a field hospital early on Sunday.

Hamas said it had completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israeli military targets in Gaza, including more than 27 tanks and vehicles in the past 48 hours. An Israeli military spokesperson said Hamas had lost control of northern Gaza.

At a news conference late on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the deaths of five more Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The Israeli military said 46 had been killed since its ground operations there began.

Israel renews evacuation calls

Residents said there was increased fighting around Al-Shati refugee camp, by the coast in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said it had killed a number of militants there and called on civilians to use a four-hour pause to evacuate south.

Speaking from inside Gaza City, Jamila, 54, said she and her family could hear the roar of tanks operating in streets 700 meters (yards) away.

"During the day, people try to look for essential items such as bread and water, and at night people try to stay alive," she said by phone.

"We hear explosions throughout the night, sometimes we can tell that some of these explosions are exchanges of fire between the resistance fighters and the Israeli forces."

The mother of six said her family was scared to leave.

"We hear lots of bombings in the south, and there is no food. Things there don't seem different from our situation here," she said.

Palestinian health officials said 13 people had been killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in Khan Younis on Sunday.

Reports of possible hostage deal

Israel has said doctors, patients and thousands of evacuees who have taken refuge at hospitals in northern Gaza must leave so it can destroy what it says are Hamas command centres under and around them. Hamas denies using hospitals this way.

Al Shifa staff told Reuters there had been continuous bombardment for more than 24 hours. Most hospital staff and people sheltering there had left, but 500 patients remained.

The World Health Organisation expressed "grave concern" for the safety of everyone trapped there by the fighting and said it had lost communications with its contacts in the hospital.

Israel's three major TV news channels said on Saturday there was some progress toward a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza but there was little sign of one on Sunday. They did not cite any named sources and there was no public comment from Hamas or Israel on the reports.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rauf Most Expensive Bowler In Single Edition Of World Cup. He Conceded...

Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf registered an unwanted record against England in the 44th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, the 'Men in Green' speedster conceded the most runs in a single edition of the extravagant tournament. In the 2023 edition of the ODI World Cup in India, Rauf gifted 533 runs after taking part in nine innings at the ongoing tournament. Earlier, the unwanted record was held by the English spinner Adil Rashid, who gave away 526 runs in the 2019 World Cup.

In the ongoing ODI World Cup, Rauf scalped 16 wickets and picked just one maiden over. His best performance at the ODI World Cup 2023 was 3/43.

Against England in Kolkata, the 30-year-old pacer bagged three wickets but gifted 64 runs to the English batsmen. He kept an economy rate of 6.40 on Saturday.

Coming to match, Ben Stokes continued his stellar form and scored 84 runs from 76 balls. He smashed 11 fours and 2 sixes. Meanwhile, Joe Root also played a 60-run knock from 72 balls. English opener Jonny Bairstow started the inning well after he played a 59-run knock from 61 balls.

The Pakistani pacers failed to make a mark in the game after they were unable to early wickets. Mohammad Wasim Jr has been costly for the 'Men in Green' after he gave away 74 runs in the game. However, Wasim Jr picked up two wickets. Meanwhile, Shaheen Afridi bagged two wickets in the first inning and gifted 72 runs.

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